"No, I'm sorry." Slayde actually looked sorry. "Or regular beer."
"Seriously? Maggie's not going to be drinking beer." If she wasn't having it, it couldn't be a problem, right?
"Those aren't my rules, Drake. Those are Mindy's."
He raised his hands up. "I'm just trying to figure the logic on that one is all. Are there any munchies we're allowed? Popcorn? Cheetos?"
"Popcorn, yes. Cheetos --there are gluten-free ones. Potato chips, yes. Maybe we should go together the first time?"
"I was trying to take a load off you, man." He could pick up some fucking groceries without a chaperone.
Slayde sighed. "Okay. I'll print the list and you can go and then I'll pay bills."
"Okay…" Would it hurt the man to crack a smile? Slayde was pretty good-looking, but a little smile thrown in now and then would do wonders.
The guy disappeared, leaving the stack of bills, the list of to dos in Mindy's backward script.
"What the f--" He cut off the swear word. What had he said this time? Sensitive little shit. Mindy should have hired a woman. He went and got himself a glass of milk, and stole another bite of the cookie dough.
It didn't take long before the guy came back with a handful of pages. "Here you go."
He grabbed them and started reading through it. It was long. And the last page was a list of ingredients he had to avoid. "Okay. Great. So where's the store and how did you want me to pay for this?" He didn't mind paying, but if he was meant to buy a list like this on a regular basis, he was going to have to find a job here because his savings were not going to last.
"I--. I have an account. Let me give you some cash. I drive into Georgetown into the big HEB, usually."
"Yeah? Okay. I mean I can cover it. I don't want to leave you hurting." Money was always so fucking awkward.
"This is so weird. Mindy budgeted me a thousand dollars a month to feed them."
"Is that enough for the four of you? I'll contribute for my share." He probably ate more than the four of them put together.
"It's just enough. We'll have to plan."
"Like I said, I can pay my way. I have money saved up for rainy days like these." He pulled his phone out again. "Okay, the GPS I do know how to use. You got an address for this store of yours?"
"Williams Drive." He was handed some cash. "This should cover it."
"Cool, thanks. I'll see you in a bit." He wasn't used to having someone to answer to, to leave when he went out.
"We'll be here." Slayde followed him to the door. "Uh…you want the car keys?"
He looked at the bike keys he'd just fished out of his pocket and chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess I do."
"Yeah. The van's in the garage, but you might want to take Jerry's pickup."
"Where's it at?" He hadn't seen it when he'd driven in.
"Garage, too." A set of keys were handed over.
"Thanks. I'll see you in a bit." He pocketed the list and the cash and headed out.
This was the weirdest day in history.
Chapter Two
Slayde paid the bills, changed the sheets in Mindy's bedroom, and pondered having a meltdown before the kids woke up. Drake was the worst type of typical man -- loud, gruff, disrespectful, and, from what Mindy said, homophobic. Goodie.
"You need to watch yourself a little, honey. He's a cop and very macho and not… friendly."
No shit. Like he was flaming. Well, okay, he was a nanny and a cook and out in that totally out, go to Pride, take his boyfriend home for Christmas sort of way. Not that he had a boyfriend right now. Or even time for a trip to Austin and a good hard snuggle with Joey and Travis.
Like Joey'd read his mind -- or the hysterical text he'd sent fifteen minutes ago -- his phone rang and he grabbed it. "Joey."
"What happened?"
"This Drake man showed up and ate the cookie dough and wants to bring Doritos in and told Christian they'd go to McDonald's!"
"Okay, slow down, man. You're not making any sense. There's a man?" Trust that to be the only thing Joey had picked up on.
"Yes. Mindy's brother. He quit his job and he's moving in and staying!" At least for a few weeks, Mindy'd said. He'll get bored and leave, she'd said.
"And he ate cookie dough and likes Doritos and McDonald's… Is he hot?"
"Yes!" He plopped down on the recliner. "He's like all penal and motorcycle jacket and studly and everything and totally not into guys in that calling me "nanny boy" sort of way and I have a headache, man. This was hard enough, not having another grown-up around, but he isn't interested in being friends."
"Travis, Slayde has a mean cop leather daddy living with him and the kids."
"I do not!" Well, not like that. Right?
"But you said…"
"Okay. Let me talk to Travis."
"He has a client, honey. He's doing highlights. Sorry."
Damn it.
"So… he's what? Expecting you to wait on him hand and foot like you're his maid cum butler cum housekeeper as well as look after the kids? That's not fair, honey. You're working twenty-four seven looking after those babies; Mindy can't expect you to wait on her brother as well."
"He's supposed to be helping, but… he's seen these kids, what? Christian maybe four times, the other two twice? He didn't even come for Jerry's funeral." To be fair, the man had been undercover saving California from God knew what, but still. Funeral.
"So he's not helping? Then why did he come? What's he doing now?"
"He's at the grocery store. I sent him to Georgetown."
Joey snorted. "Christ, you should have sent him to Austin for the Whole Foods; you could have gotten another two hours of peace."
"Yeah. I know. I'll have to go again, you know I will."
"You want me to come
